2015 Seat Leon X-Perience

 Background Information
If I told you 20 years ago, that in 2014 Seat would be releasing a dedicated off-road 4WD Seat Leon Sports Tourer you would think I'm ready to be sent to a mental health unit.
But here we are with Seat announcing that an off-road version of it's stylish Seat Leon ST would be on sale in the UK on the 1st September.

The Leon ST X-Perience gives us a taste of what will be on offer in 2016 when Seat will unveil their first ever proper SUV.

The X-Perience will be a rival to it's fellow VW Group manufacturer, Skoda's Octavia Scout 4x4 (whom it shares parts with), Japanese brand Subaru's Legacy Outback and to some, the Audi A4 Allroad. Some tough competition then.

Seat has raised the ride height by 15mm, providing greater ground clearance to cope with the rough stuff. Power is fed to the 4 wheels by the latest 5th generation Haldex multi-plate clutch connected to 2 different electronic differential lock systems and an electronic stability control system specifically catered for off-roading. In normal driving conditions, eg around town, power is sent to the front wheels only with the system constantly monitoring grip levels with power being sent to the rear wheels in milliseconds when a loss in traction is detected. Seat calls it the "4Drive System".

The X-Perience comes in 2 trims: SE and SE Technology.
Prices start from £24,385 for the 2.0 TDI 150PS diesel engine equipped with a 6 manual transmission in SE trim.
Stepping up to SE Technology trim equipped with the same engine and transmission costs £26,370.
If you want more power, stepping up to the 2.0 TDI 184PS diesel engine with a 6 speed dual clutch semi-automatic transmission in SE Technology trim brings the price to £28,870.

SE trim features 17-inch alloys, black roof rails, dark-tinted rear windows, rear parking sensors, twin exhaust pipes, dual zone climate control, leather wrapped steering wheel with orange stitching and X-Perience badging, sports front seats, hill hold assist and a 5-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with a proximity sensor.

SE Technology trim features in addition to SE trim: a larger 5.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system including DAB digital radio and satellite navigation, auto lights, auto wipers and auto dimming rear view mirror, LED headlights, LED taillights, electric folding exterior mirrors, 18-inch machined alloy wheels and alcantara upholstery.

Engines
Diesel
2.0 TDI 150PS (148BHP) single turbo 4 cylinder
2.0 TDI 184PS (181BHP) single turbo 4 cylinder



Torque Figures (Nm = Newton Metres), fuel economy in MPG UK (combined cycle), CO2 emissions (g/km) respectively.





2.0 TDI 150PS (148BHP) 6 speed manual               -        320 Nm, 57.6mpg, 126g/km
2.0 TDI 184PS (181BHP) 6 speed DSG semi-auto   -        380 Nm, 55.4mpg, 133g/km



Size
Seat has not released official dimensions of the X-Perience but it should be more or less the same as the standard Leon ST. The figures for the standard ST are:
Length: 4.535m
Width: 1.816m
Height: 1.439m
Wheelbase: 2.636m

The boot size in the standard ST is 587L so the X-Perience should have a similar figure.





Interior
The interior is the same as the as the ST which is no bad thing with differing features being the orange stitched steering wheel with X-Perience badging. 

In SE trim the center stage of the interior is the 5-inch colour touchscreen with a proximity sensor with a larger 5.8-inch in place in the SE Technology trim models.







Exterior
The exterior has the same modern sharp body lines as the standard ST with additional features being the plastic mouldings on the door sills, wheel arches, front and rear bumpers with aluminium plastic detailing on the front and rear bumpers.

The front and rear bumpers offer an improved approach and departure angles when off-roading.
17-inch twin spoke alloys are equipped on SE trim cars while SE Technology cars come equipped with 18-inch machine alloy wheels.



My Opinion
The sharp styling of the Leon X-Perience is a breath of fresh air compared to it's rivals.
In this rather niche market Seat have managed to make the X-Perience a head turner compared to it's rivals.
The X-Perience doesn't just turn heads, it's a very good all rounder too being based on the award winning Seat Leon hatchback which has won awards for being small family car of the year.
If I was in the market for this type, I would opt for it's VW Group rival the Skoda Octavia Scout as it's more spacious, cheaper and just as good off road although it isn't as sharp looking as the Leon X-Perience.